John Mackey, as co-CEO of Whole Foods, once said of entrepreneurs, “Though they want to make money — start businesses out of passion.” He went on to say: “Physicians make money, but their mission is to heal; teachers make money, but their desire is to educate; and architects make money, but they yearn to build.” Looking at the day to day, quarter to quarter postings of profitability statistics constantly ticking across the bottom of our video screens, one would be hesitant to extoll business intentions to be anything other than making a profit. The truth, however, is that the most profitable businesses began as a dream; a vision to create something non-existent; a goal to provide a solution to the yet unsolved; a passion to fulfill a very personal need.
It’s not that a profit motive is undesirable or misguided. Without profit, even the most well-intentioned business is unsustainable over time. Perhaps it is more of a chicken or egg thing. What comes first? In today’s most competitive environments customers want to be appreciated for being more than a source of revenue. They are looking to businesses to focus as much on delivering value and fulfilling a purpose as they do on profitability.
As we look at some businesses, it is easy to recognize that intentions can be misguided. “Many entrepreneurs enter into business thinking ‘I am going to get rich quick or I am going to take advantage of a gap in the industry and over-price customers for work,’” says Julie Gareleck, founder and CEO of Junction Creative Solutions (Junction). “Financially motivated organizations tend to be here today in good economic times and gone in tomorrow’s economic down-turn. Purpose and value must be foundational to a company’s vision and must align with the organization’s financial goals for profitability.”
The Junction team of experienced professionals is passionately focused on partnering with clients to create value. “Whether developing a complex comprehensive strategy or executing digital solutions, it’s all about our customers, and the process of providing quality work. It is the differentiator in our business,” says Gareleck. “We don’t take on clients just to take on clients. We invest our time and energy into clients that want our help and want to partner with us to achieve something greater. It is a model for success that we have proven over and over.”
“When you believe in something the force of your convictions will spark other people’s interest and motivate them to help you achieve your goals. This is essential to success.”- Richard Branson.
To learn more about Junction’s passion for helping others to achieve success, call 678-686-1125.